Shedding and shuttle-box-operating mechanism for looms



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. WRIGHT. SHEDDING AND SHUTTLE BOX OPERATING MEGHANISM FOR LOOMS. No. 425,843. I Patented Apr. 15, 1890..

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. WRIGHT.

ISHEDDING AND SHUTTLE BOX OPERATING MEUHANISM' FOR LOOMS. No. 425,843. Patented Apr. 15,1890.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. WRIGHT.

SHEDDING AND SHUTTLE IB-OX- OPERATING MEGHANISM TOR LOOMS.

No. 425,843. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E. WRIGHT; SHEDDING AND SHUTTLE BOX OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS. No. 425.843. Patented Apr. 15 1890.

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\ UNITED ST T S PATENT OFFI E.

EDYVARD lV-RIGHT, OF \VOROESTER, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAVIS 85 FURBER MACHINE COMPANY, OF NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHEDDING AND SHUTTLE-BOX-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,843, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed September 26, 1889. Serial No. 325,187. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of. WVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Shedding and Shuttle-Box-Operating Mechanism for Looms, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specifi- I0 cation sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same. I

The prime object of my present invention is to provide a shedding mechanism and shuttle-box-operating mechanism forlooms which shall be simple in construction, efficient and durable in operation, convenient for attendance, and in which the members can be readily taken apart and reassembled.

Another object is to provide for the purposes of operating the shuttle-boxes and harnesses of looms a combination of mechanism, wherein the vibrator-gears from which the jacks are actuated are operated bya single continuously-rotating cylinder-gear.

These objects I attain by mechanism constructed and organized for operation substantially as explained in the following detailed description, the particular subject-matter claimed as new and of my invention, and to be herein embraced by Letters Patent, being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 1s a plan view of 5 such parts of-a loom as will illustrate the na-' ture of my invention. Fig. 1 shows the jaw of the clutch for driving the shedding mechanism. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of one end of a loom embracing my improved mechanto ism. Fig. 3 is a view on a somewhat larger scale, showing the levers and pulleys for actuating the shuttle-box-operating chains. Fig. 4 is a sectional view looking from the front, showing the arrangement of the actuating mechanism, jacks, and connections-the vibrating arms being shown as depressed. Fig. 5 is a front view of the gearing whereby motion is transmitted to the pattern-chain from the cylindershaft. Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the manner of joining the connecting bars and jacks. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section showing the fulcrum-support, the vi- I brator-bars, and the guard for retaining said bars in connection therewith. Fig. Sis avertical sectional view looking from the rear, showing the arrangement of the operating mechanism and shuttle-box connections, the vibrator-bars being shown as elevated and the crank-gears in mesh as when effecting movement. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the unlooking bar or retractor and its arms. Figs.

10 and 11 show the form of the cams for operating the unlocking-bar.

In referring to parts, A denotes the frame of suitable construction to support the operating devices.

B indicates the jacks for operating the harness-frames B, which jacks and harnesses can be constructed and arranged for operation in any suitable or well-known manner, and 1) indicates the jacks for the shuttleboxes. Upon the upper part of the projecting head-frame, at the end of the loom, there is arranged a revoluble cylinder 0, the shaft or axis 0 of which is supported in bearings 7 5 at the front and rear ends thereof, as at a a. Said cylinder is provided upon. a part of its periphery with gear-teeth that extend from end to end of the same, a sufficient number of teeth being formed thereon to effect a onehalf revolution of the vibrator or crank gears, the other portion of its periphery being plain or without teeth.

Beneath the cylinder-gear 0 there is arranged a series of vibrator-bars D, the number of such bars corresponding with-the number of harness and shuttle-box actuating jacks, a greater or less number being employed according to the requirements of the loom or work. Said vibrator-bars are ful 9o crumed 011 a support or rod D, that extends across the frame from front to rearnear the central part of the head, while the outer ends of said vibrator-bars are arranged to move up and down in guideways on a transverse plate 5 A attached to the outer end of the head- .frame. Adjacent to the ends of the vibratorbars and supported on the plate A there is a rod A upon which a series of springs (Z are arranged for respectively pressing down the seve 'al vibrator-bars. Beneath the ends of the vibrator-bars there is a stop A which prevents said bars from dropping too low.

a The inner ends of the vibrator-bars D are made to hook over the fulcrum-rod D, and a bar H is pivoted to the frame at It just above the fulcrum, which bar hangs downward and serves as a guard over the hooked ends to prevent the vibrator-bars lifting or being. forced upward at theirfulcrum. Said guardbar H can be swung upward for releasing the vibrator-bars when it is desired to remove one or more of them from position. The guard H may be a bar extending completely across the frame, or a rod having thereon a series of loose sections that swing downover the end of the vibrator-bars. brator-bars there is a revoluble gear F, mounted on a stud d, that projects from the side of. the bar. Said gear is provided with a crank or wrist pin 6, from which a connecting-rod E extends tothe jack B orb, the jack being moved back and forth by the revolution of the crank-gear F. Beneath the series of vibrating bars there is arranged the cylinder or sprocket J, which carries the pattern-chain K, the lower projecting portion of the vibrator-bars resting thereupon, and bymeans of the balls or indicators upon the bars-of said chain the vibrator-bars D are elevated or thrown upward for engaging thecrank-gears F with the cylinder-gear O.

Pivoted to the side of the vibrator-bar is a (log or locking-detent I, that engages the teeth of the gear F when depressed. A spring 1' is arranged 011 the bar, as indicated, whereby said dog is normally pressed into engagement with the gear. Above the row of dogs I and mounted in bearings a on the frame is an oscillating retractor or unlocking-bar L, the lower part of which is fitted with a groovel along its under side. This retractor or unlocking-bar is oscillated by means of cams m and m',-mounted on the cylinder-gear shaft 0 at the respective ends of the cylinder-gear; or, if preferred, both cams can be at one end, said cams engaging with upwardly and down-- wardly curved arms M and M, fixed to the -retract.or-axle. The retraetor is best provided with a baclnvardly-extended arm L thatengageswith leather-padded stops it 'n, fixed on the frame, which stops prevent the arms com-' .ing in contact with the flat part-of the cams and hammering thereon, thus preventing much noise.

The dogs I are severallyprovided with an upwardly-extended lug or projecting top, which is adapted to enter the groove lot the retractor or unlocking-bar L when the latter is swung forward, at which positionthe tops of the locking-clogs and the groove are in conjunction. WVhena vibrator-bar is elevated,

the top of the dog arranged thereon enters the groove Z in the locking-bar, andsaid bar by its backward movement overcomes the pressure of the spring 1' and forces the nose of the dog out from the teeth of the crank- Upon each of the vigear F, thereby releasing said gear just at the instant its teeth are going into mesh with the teeth on the cylindeiwgear C. The cylindergear is preferably made in sections, the part which actuates the harness mechanism and that which actuates the shuttle-box mechanism being separately fixedon the shaft 0", so that one section may be adjusted to act slightly in advance of the other. Said cylinder can, however, be made integral or of one piece if in any instance so desired.

Power and motion are imparted to the cylinder-gearO through beveled gears G by a shaft G, which. is, in turn rotated by a suitable train of-gearing G from the main or crank shaft of the loom. This gearing and shaft are arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and2, or in other suitable manner for imparting a continuous forward rotary movement torthe cylinder-gear O. A clutch N is arranged on the shaft G for throwing the shedding mech-m anism into and out of action. Said clutch is operated by a fork and rocker-shaftiN, ar-

ranged in bearings on the frame and provided with a handle N 2 near the front of the 100m. The jaws of the clutchN are made as in Fig.

1, or of such suitable form that they can be thrown into meshonly at one particular point in their revolution, so that the main crankshaft 0 and lay O of the loom and the cylinder-gear O that .controls the harness and shuttle-box mechanism will operate in. unison and cannot be deranged in their relation of ICC action by the shiftingof the clutch when stopping and starting the shedding mechanism.

The connecting-bars E are at one end pivoted to the wrist-pins e of thecrank-gears F,

and are curved downwardbeneath the ful-' crum-bar D, and their rear endsareeach provided with a dovetailed studt, (see Fig. 6,) which look into a correspondin gly-shaped recess formed inthe jack, and thus makes a pivot-connection therewith. r

The jacks Bare preferably so constructed that the dovetailed studs can be: lifted from the recesses for disconnecting the parts at any time, so that "the connecting-links Ecan readily be detached, the vibrator-bars taken out and replaced, or the jacks removed from the loom in a ready and. convenient manner. The jacks are fulcrumcdto swing on an axis or bar l3, supported on the side of the frame in ordinary manner. Anywdesired number of sets of vibrator-bars D, crank-gears F, and connections E may be employed inthe series, according to the number of harnesses required in a loom, all being of the same general construction andall actuated from the single cylinder-gear O. rFor. working the shuttle-box mechanism, instead of the connecting-bar being attached to a long jack, it is attached to ashort dependent jack or lever b, which ispivoted at itsupper end a to a support or overhangingpart of the frame. From two of the jacks b chains P extend to the respective shuttle-boxes S at the opposite ends of the loom, said chains passing over suitable guide-sheaves, as required. Adjacent to the first and third; actuatingjacks b, to which the chains Pare connected,

are arranged two pulleys R and R, that carry said shuttle-box chains, and the alternate jacks or actuating-levers adjacent to those to boxes, and when said take-up pulley T is swung back the chain is allowed to straighten, which allows the shuttle-boxes to drop.

The shuttle-boxes can be constructed and arranged in Well known manner, and the chains P connected therewith for shifting the same as heretofore employed or substantially as indicated in Fig. 2.

The pulley R is mounted on an adjustable or swing bracket R suitably attached to the frame and provided with set-screws 1*, whereby it can be adjusted up or down to take up or slacken the chain P, and thereby regulate the position of the shuttle-box in relation to the race-plate to bring the boxes accurately on a level therewith.

The pattern-chain may be of well-known form and supported in the usual manner. Said chain is operated by means of a crank V, fixed on the cylinder-gearshaft O, which crank actuates a star-wheel WV, supported on an intermediately-disposed stud, which also carries a gearvV that is attached to the starwheel and meshes with a corresponding gear J, fixed on the chain-cylinder arbor. (See Fig. 5.) The chain is moved with a step-andstep movement as the crank V engages with and leaves the star-wheel. A hand-crank w is arranged on the front end of the cylindergear shaft for turning the mechanism when finding the picks. For this purpose it is simply necessary to throw-out the clutchN- and revolve the crank 00 either backward or forward untilthe chain and mechanism are brought to the position desired.

The guide-plate A which confines the ends of the vibrator-bars, is best hinged or detach-' ably connected to the frame at its ends, so

that it can be displaced or swung downward away fromthe ends of the vibrator-bars, carrying with it the springs (Z thus affording ample facility for the removal of the bars D or any one of them without disturbing others. The guide-plate can be secured to the frame when in normal position by a latch, dog,pins,

or bolts suitably arranged to connect it with the frame, and to be conveniently removed when desired.

In the operation the cylinder-gear O is rotated continuously in the direction indicated by the arrow by a regular motion corresponding with the movement of the main shaft 0. The action of the balls of the pattern-chain successively throws up the respective vibrator-bars, bringing their crank-gears into position where their teeth will engage with the teeth of the cylinder gear as the, latter revolves. At this upward movement of the vibrator-bar the lug on the head of the lockingdog enters the slot in the retractor or unlocking-bar, and said bar, being at the proper instant thrown back by the action of the cams and the follower-arm, lifts the detent from between the teeth of all the series of crank-gears which are elevated at the instant when the latter are brought into mesh with the cylinder-gear, and said crank-gears are then moved a one-half revolution by the toothed portion of the cylinder-gear, at which position they are stopped and locked by reason of the unlocking-bar moving forward under control of the cams and causing or allowing the dog to drop between the teeth of the gear. In case the vibrator-bar D is held in elevated position, the crank-gear is again unlocked by the swinging back of the unlocking-bar and a continued forward rotative action is imparted to the crank'gear to the extentof anotherhalfrevolution as the teeth of the cylinder-gear come around. All of the locking detents or dogs in the series on vibrator-barswhich are raised by the pattern-chain are thrown out of engagement with their crank-gears, while the dogs on the vibrator-bars which are not raised remain in clutch with their gears, as they are not within the range of action of the retractor or brought into contact with the unlockingbar L. The rotation of the crank-gears F imparts reciprocative action to the connectingbars E,which n1otion is transmitted to the jacks l3 and levers b, to which the respective connecting-bars are attached, and from thence to the harnesses and shuttle-boxes in their required order of action.

In the operation of the shuttle-box action, when all of the jacks b are all swung back or at outward position,-the chain P isnearly straight and the shuttle-boxes S are at their lowest position with the first or topboxin line with the race. Then when the jack 1), to which the chain P is attached, is thrown in- Ward, the rod P is elevated one step by the draft on the chain and the second box is brought to position. lVhen the jack to which the chain is attached is'swung back, and the jack having the arm and carrying the takeup pulley T is drawn outward, the box-rod is' position level with the races Thus any box in the series can be brought to position as required.

It will be understood that I do not claim, broadly, the operation of shuttle boxes of looms by a chain from a shedding mechanism,

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as my invention relates to the peculiar mean s, substantially as described, for effecting such operation.

It will be noticed that the action of the crank-gear F is an intermittent continued rotation in forward direction, and by reason of this continued forward movement the teeth of the gears, the crank-pins, and arbors wear more uniformly and do not become shaky. The mechanism is thus rendered more durable, while at the same time the parts work with a much easier action.

In my improved mechanism I employ but a single cylinder-gear, which is revolved constantlyin one direction. Therotation of crankgears in the shedding mechanism and shuttle-box-operating mechanism of looms by a single revolving cylinder-gear and by a forward movement only is an important feature of my invention, and is broadly included as within the scope of my claims, howsoever the connections, vibrators, and jacks may be arranged for transmitting the motion to the harnesses and boxes.

The advantages incident tothis invention are the simplicity of construction, fewness of parts, and the ease and facility with which the parts can be separated and reassembled.

What I claim as of myinventiomto be herein secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a loom,a series of vibrator bars or levers having mounted thereon crank-gears that act with a forward intermittent rotation, connecting-bars from the crank-gear cranks to the jacks, a single constantly-rotating partiallytoothed cylinder-gear whereby said crankgears are rotated, a series of locking-dogs individually en gagingwith the respective crankgears, and a retractor that releases theindividual lock of a crank-gear when elevated in to mesh with said cylinder-gear, in combination with a movable pattern surface or chain having indicators that lift said vibrator-bars, and a system of jacks to which the harnesses and shuttle-boxes are connected, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the cylinder-gear, the vibrator-bar, the ci-ankgear, the jack-connecting bar having a jack connected therewith, the locking detent or dog supported on the vibrator-bar and engaging a recess in the crank-gear for holding said gear from rotating when out of mesh, a spring for pressing forward said dog, and means for retracting said locking-dog, substantially as set forth;

3. The combination, with the cylindergear,

- the swinging jacks and their connecting-bars,

the series of cran k-gears, and the vibrator-bars on which said crank-gears are supported, of a series of locking dogs or detents that normally engage, respectively, with said crank-v gears to prevent rotation thereof, and a retractor disposed in normal disengagement with the series of locking-dogs, but at position for engaging and throwing said locking-dogs from the crank-gears when the latter are thrown up for engagement with the cylinder: gear by the elevation of the vibrator-bars, and the pattern surface or chain having indicators thereon, whereby. said vibrator bars are lifted, substantially as set forth.

4. The retractor or unlocking bar provided with an arm or guard,:and stops n for limiting the movement thereof to prevent hammering of the follower-arms upon the cams, in combination with-the cylinder-gear, retractoractuating cams, vibrator-bars, crank-gears, lockiug-detents, the jacks, and jack-connecting bars, as set forth.

5. The combination of the cylinder-gear, the vibrator-bars, the vibrator gears, the spring-pressed locking-dogs that engage said gears, and a retractor or throw-01f device operated synchronously with the rotation of the cylinder-gear and having a grooved bar that engages the tops of the locking-dogs when elevated and unlocks the crank-gears as they approach the cylinder-gear, the connecting-bars, and jacks, all substantially as described.

6. In combination, substantially as specified, the pair of swing jacks-or levers b, two guide-pulleys having their axes at stationary position on the frame, the take-up pulley carried by or connected to one of said swingjacks arranged to swing into the space between the two guide-pulleys, the shuttle-boxlifting chain having its end attached to the other of said swing-jacks, the vibrator-bars, the operating cylinder-gear, the crank-gears, connecting-bars joining said swingjacks with the crank-gears, the gear-locking dogs, the retractor, and the pattern-chain, all substantially as described.

7. The pulley R and adjustable support for the same, and screws for adjusting the said support, in combination with the swingjacks b, pulleys R, R, and T, and shuttle-box lifting chain P, as set forth. 1

8. The series of springs, andthe supporting rod or bar arranged across the frame and extending through the coils of said springs which project therefrom and press upon the free ends of the vibrator-bars, substantially as described, in combination with the vibrator-bars, crank-gears, cylinder-gear, jack-connections, and pattern-chain, as set forth.

9. The displaceable guide-plate A pivoted or detachably connected with the frame, in combination with the vibrator-bars having their movable ends in engagement with the guidcways of said bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' Witness my hand this 21st day of Septemher, A. D. 1889.

EDWARD WRIGHT. Witnesses:

CHAS. H. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUS.

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